This blog documents the journey of Marla Crider, a 60 year-old travel professional from Little Rock, Arkansas, as she battles a breast cancer called invasive ductal carcinoma (stage 3). From the moment of her diagnosis, she chronicles her experience. Be forewarned this blog may provide a raw glimpse into the author’s psyche and ability to deal with a life threatening challenge. Hopefully, her honesty and humor will provide advice and help to others who find themselves in a crusade of their own.

Friday, September 6, 2013

Taxol: The Chemo That Keeps On Giving

Marla Crider receives chemo treatment #7.One more to go!

The calendar showed that it was August 23; however, it
wasn’t just any old late summer day.It
was the date that I would receive the seventh of eight prescribed chemo
treatments.As odd as it might sound, I
was anxious for what lay ahead of me: blood work, appointment with oncologist
Dr. Issam Makhoul and the next­-to-the-last toxin infusion that would
strategically rid my body of those insidious cancer cells. Even though there were days after my most
recent treatment that were uncomfortable and challenging, it didn’t
matter.I was on a mission and no side
effects were going to deter me from being cancer free.

My brother, Mike, and sister-in-law, Barbara, journeyed from
Northwest Arkansas to Little Rock
to provide family support for what was sure to be a long day.We reported to the infusion center at the University of Arkansas' Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and, as usual,
the waiting area was full.Many of the
faces were familiar.While we didn’t
know each other’s stories, we all shared a common thread – cancer – and the
routine of curing it. After a 45-minute wait, the nurse’s assistant called my
name from the door.I followed her to
the scales, where she checked my weight.It was stable and hadn’t changed from the previous treatment, which was
good.I was then escorted to a vacant
recliner, where I waited for the assigned RN to draw blood.

The Asian nurse, who was the first to introduce me to
pain-free port access weeks before, appeared with her hands full of vials and
tubes.The efficient caregiver
remembered me as the patient who had a port implanted on a nerve.As she prepared to insert the needle into the small, round tube embedded near my left collarbone, she advised me to take a deep breath.Once again, the process was painless.I will always be grateful to this knowledgable healthcare professional for sharing the
deep-breathing trick that eliminated the dread and discomfort from my
twice-monthly treatments.

After the blood work, my family and I proceeded to Dr.
Makhoul’s office for my appointment.Again, the waiting room was at capacity but our delay was minimal before
I was called back to one of the evaluation rooms.When Dr. Mak appeared, he was anxious to
discuss my side effects from the second Taxol treatment.He said the severe bone and joint pain that I
had experienced was not uncommon and would require that I continue taking pain
medication to get me through the worst days.Dr. Makhoul also inquired how well I was resting at night.When I explained that the night sweats
limited my ability to get more than two or three hours of sleep, he suggested
that I begin taking a new medication – venlafaxine – that could decrease the
intensity and frequency of the night sweats up to 50%.Interestingly, the drug is classified as an
anti-depressant but physicians learned from their patients that it also assisted in
lessening menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats.I had suffered from sleep deprivation for more than four months and was ready to try anything that the good
doctor suggested.

Following our discussion, Dr. Makhoul examined me to check
the status of the breast tumor.Using
his handy-dandy measuring device he announced that the mass had decreased to 1.5
centimeters.We shared a high-five to
celebrate the news.He commented that
after my final treatment the tumor could totally disappear and show up on an
MRI merely as scar tissue.Wow! How far
we had come in four months.When we
started this journey in early May, I had a large, fast-growing mass, measuring
5.6 centimeters that was categorized as grade 3, stage 3.The current results are proof that chemotherapy works when you have the
right physician prescribing the treatment. (Thank you, Dr. Makhoul!)

Mike, Barbara and I returned to the infusion center for my
chemo treatment. Instead of being escorted to one of the recliners in the open
“bullpen” area as usual, I was taken to a private room with an adjustable bed
because it was the only space available. I sat on the bed and my sister-in-law
occupied the companion chair next to me. As I settled in for the three-hour intravenous
procedure, I heard a familiar voice approaching the room.And there he was – Mr. Nurse Ratched –
preparing to hook me up to the prescribed toxin of the day.

He started the process by giving me more steroids to prevent
nausea then injected me with Benadryl to counteract any potential allergic
reactions to the Taxol. As soon as the
drug hit my system, I started giggling as I had with the two previous
treatments.I mentioned my
uncontrollable urge to giggle to Mr. Nurse Ratched, who thought I said “wiggle.”
He immediately decreased the flow of drug through the pump, thinking I was
having a reaction.When I repeated that
the Benadryl made me giggle, especially when it was administered intravenously, Mr. Nurse
Ratched started laughing at his misunderstanding and readjusted the drip to
flow normally.His dry wit fully
engaged, he remarked that I was probably a cheap date if Benadryl had that kind
of effect on me.“A guy could ply you
with Benadryl for a lot less than a couple of glasses of wine and have his way with you,” said my nemesis
nurse, who I thought had no sense of humor whatsoever.During the past four months, I had never
seen that side of Mr. Nurse Ratched and it was a nice surprise.Three hours later, I was unhooked from the
pump and sent home to rest.

Mike and Barbara stayed with me overnight just in case I
experienced any nausea or side effects.They departed the following morning when they were convinced that I was
feeling pretty good for having just completed my seventh chemo treatment.

On the third day after the treatment, I began to experience
bone pain that was concentrated in my hips, knees and shins.It was a constant ache that at times would
cause me to catch my breath.By the
fourth day after the treatment, the pain had intensified leaving me no choice
but to take the pain pills Dr. Makhoul had prescribed.I’m one of those people who can’t function
when “doped” so going to the office that day was not an option.Even with the pain medication, I didn’t get
much relief.The discomfort continued
for several more days; however, I managed to go to work, which actually helped divert
my attention from my aching bones.

The week following the treatment, I started to notice that
what few hairs I had left on my head were quickly disappearing. In addition, my eyebrows and eyelashes were falling
out, which took me totally by surprise.My
arms and legs were now hairless and slick as a baby’s butt. Heck, since I no
longer have to shave my legs or wash my hair in the shower, I can now complete
the task in three minutes or less.I’m
saving money on my water bill, razor blades and shampoo.Who knew there would be a silver lining to
chemo-induced hair loss?And just to add
to that list of pleasantries, my fingernails have also undergone a change
thanks to the chemo treatments.They
have become soft and spongy and have all but disintegrated, eliminating the
need for a manicure anytime soon. Yet
one more reason to save a few bucks…

Venlafaxine reduces night sweats.

On a brighter note, after taking the venlafaxine for the hot flashes and night sweats for a week, I could definitely tell a difference. Instead of waking up three to four times per night totally drenched with sweat, I was now sleeping up to five hours a night - something I hadn't done in months. Once again, Dr. Makhoul came to my rescue with an appropriate medication. When I asked him in his office how long the sweats would continue, he said approximately two years. Oh, goody!

Let’s see…no hair, no eyelashes, no eyebrows, no fingernails, intense bone pain and drenching night sweats.As unpleasant as
those things may sound, I have been very unemotional about the changes to the exterior
of my body. The side effects and annoyances associated with chemotherapy are
temporary and worth enduring whatever necessary to kill the cancer within.I am now only days away from my final chemo treatment and all I can say
is “bring it on” because I can handle whatever the chemo gremlins throw at me.

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About Me

Marla Crider, a 60 year-old travel professional from Little
Rock, Arkansas, is blogging her battle with invasive ductal carcinoma or in layman’s terms –
breast cancer. From the moment she discovers the lurking lump in her right
breast, she apprehensively chronicles her thoughts and emotions for public
scrutiny. Be forewarned that these postings may provide a raw glimpse into the
author’s psyche and ability to deal with a life threatening challenge. Hopefully,
Marla’s honesty, humor, and prose approach of dealing with her diagnosis and
subsequent treatment plan will help others who find themselves in a crusade of
their own. You may follow her journey here: www.MarlaCrider.com . Marla has lived and worked previously in Fayetteville, Arkansas and Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: What is it?

Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) is the most common form of invasive breast cancer. It accounts for 80% of breast cancer incidence upon diagnosis, according to statistics from the U.S. in 2004. On a mammogram, it is usually visualized as a mass with fine spikes radiating from the edges. On physical examination, the lump usually feels much harder or firmer than benign breast lesions such as fibroadenoma. On microscopic examination, the cancerous cells invade and replace the surrounding normal tissues.

Mammograms

Breast tissue is composed of fatty (nondense) tissue and connective (dense) tissue. Radiologists use a grading system to describe the density of breast tissue based on the proportion of fat to connective tissue. There are four levels of density that are detected by mammograms: Level 1 (a very fatty breast), level 2 (fatty tissue makes up more than 50 percent of breast), level 3 (dense tissue makes up more than 50 percent of the breast) and level 4 (a very dense breast with very little fat). Click the image above for more information from the Mayo Clinic.

Get a Breast Cancer Screening

Click map to find a screening site near you.

All original content copyright (c) 2013, Marla F. Crider and marlacrider.com. You are free to share (copy, distribute and transmit) content from this site with attribution to marlacrider.com.